Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola saw off the fifth Manchester United manager of his reign at the Etihad this week when the axe fell on Erik ten Hag.
City’s cross-town neighbours are languishing in 14th place in the Premier League table, with the summer backing given to the Dutchman following last season’s FA Cup final win soon dissipating at Old Trafford.
The next man up for the Red Devils looks to be Portuguese boss Ruben Amorim, with the latest reports claiming that he is set to take the job following this month’s international break. Amorim himself has said there will be ‘clarification’ following Sporting’s match against Estela on Friday evening.
Amorim has previously been mentioned in the media as a potential successor for Guardiola at Manchester City, with the Catalan’s contract currently due to expire at the end of the season.
The appointment of Hugo Viana as the club’s new incoming sporting director added further substance to this speculation, but reports emerging in the wake of Man United’s interest in Amorim that City’s style of play did not align with the Portuguese manager’s philosophy and claimed he was never seriously considered.
Man City’s stance on Ruben Amorim
But according to TBR Football’s transfer specialist Graeme Bailey, who spoke exclusively to Manchester City News, the Premier League champions had done their homework on homework on the 39-year-old.
“I think he was on their radar,” he told us. “City have always got this issue going back, they’re keeping abreast of who is available, the situation every 18 months with Pep.
“They’ve done their due diligence. Amorim was one they liked, and to suggest he didn’t fit their system is wide of the mark, I’m being told. Let’s not forget we’ve got Hugo Viana going in there who loves working with Amorim, so I think to suggest City had no interest is false information, I don’t believe it. I’m told Amorim was very much on their radar.
| Trophy | Years won |
| Taca da Liga | 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 |
| Primeira Liga | 2020/21, 2023/24 |
| Supertaca Candido de Oliveira | 2021 |
“For me personally, I think it suggests that Amorim wasn’t discussed more recently, suggests that maybe Pep might stay. I think that might be the best indication we’ve had. I think City will have had the discussion with Pep last week, saying look, can you give us an indication because we can at least have a conversation with Amorin if you’re going to do it.”
In a quirk of fate, the Champions League fixture list has thrown up a clash between Sporting and Manchester City in the Portuguese capital on Tuesday evening.
